Frankie Howerd interview | British comedian | Comedy | Good Afternoon | 1976

Some extracts from Thames Televisions 'Good Afternoon'
Mavis Nicholson speaks to British comedy legend Frankie Howerd. In these extracts, Frankie talks about his dislike of interviews and what one should ask..
Recorded: 07/10/1976
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Quote: VT15060

[@rmstitanic8163]

First time I've seen him speaking seriously. What a great interview.

[@JohnSmith-su3ze]

Frankie Howerd is amazing in this interview. Absolutely incredible. He shows where our society went wrong. A very wise man who shows us in this interview how foolish we have been by ruining our society through allowing politics to contaminate everything in our society.

[@flyboy2880]

First serious interview I've ever seen with him, very interesting. Missed badly still to this day.

[@daviddd99]

A thoughtful and coherent interview. Less nervous than he was with Parky. Without an audience and with a classy interviewer like Mavis Nicholson, it's a marvel what you can get. We need a niche interview slot like this today to get away from the 'zoo' format of Alan Carr, Jonathan Ross and Graham Norton.

[@andrewbarratt7736]

I think that’s what podcasts do today.

[@needley]

A dim wit he wasn't. Wonderful interview.

[@veronicanicholls7132]

Great interview! Love Frankie Howard so much more after listening to this interview. Frankie Howard was a thoughtful decent man.

[@johnking5174]

What an insightful comment made here at 3:55 by Frankie. Wonderful, and it applies to us here now in 2021 just as much as it applied to those back in 1976 when this first aired. Well said Frankie.

[@hisalexness8478]

An interesting interview! My gast has never been so flabbered!

[@TheVintageApplianceEmporium]

What a wonderful man he was. If only people today could see different points of view and make up their own minds, rather than being influenced by the glitteraty

[@joedent3323]

straight up the batty-crease.

[@analogdistortion]

If only these views were common amongst people today

[@elgatofelix8917]

These views are common among common people, just not among celebritards

[@DennisBloodnokPhotographyVideo]

Well said. Very true !!

[@michaellavery4899]

I wish it was longer. Stop it you. I'd also like more breadth. That's it. I'm getting off now.

[@kit.tv.]

We have to all start from the ground up!

[@DRAINPIPE57]

Very straight to the point visionary

[@purpleicochin]

I realised and learned a few things in that nine minutes. Great thinker...

[@johnking5174]

3:30 - Very well said here by Frankie, and sadly now in 2021 that attitude simply does not exist among comedians.

[@tonymoore5927]

I wish certain so called celebrities would listen to Mr. Howard both in UK, Ireland and USA. Well done Frankie.

[@skullduggerysmiles8393]

I mentioned to a friend I was a fan. A while later just before getting married a package arrived, we were literally going out of the door to the service. It was from Frankie, with signed photos and a letter wishing us the best. What a surprise. I didn't know my friend knew him and had told him about our impending nuptials.

[@regplasma7906]

Great interview.You see more of the real serious side of Frankie.

[@adelucas4824]

What I liked about Mavis was that she would ask questions but was also quite happy to let her subject talk. She often asked questions or made comments that clarified or brought out more in depth answers, but she wasn't combative generally. Many modern comedians should watch this and take notes. Many of todays comedians are really rather dull because all they do is make rude comments on the news of the day and politicians they don't like. It's very much a case of "I'm woke and if you don't like it you must be istaphobic". People like Nish Kumar, Romesh Ranganathen, Lenny Henry, Russel Howard and James Acaster were once funny, but have got so political it's not even entertaining any more, never mind funny.

[@stephenholmes1036]

Mavis Nicholson really got Frank to open up. She was a very good interviewer

[@bob23301]

The world today sorely needs the likes of Frankie.

[@lukerobinson2605]

Totally agree with Frankie. It's all too easy for comedians, singers & broadcasters etc to spout their political beliefs. If they think they know better, why don't they become politicians themselves. That's one of the main reasons I think Billy Connolly has been so popular for so many years. He doesn't touch on politics. And although he may use strong language, his humour is never spiteful or aimed at any particular individual or group of people.

[@nigelwilliams9307]

Very intelligent man. Love ya Francis!

[@DRAINPIPE57]

Frankie Howerd in his own words

[@Pitmirk_]

Getting the impression he's trying to stop her asking anything more personal

[@Nai61a]

Pitmirk: Yes, I think that's right. In 1976 being openly gay, for example, would have been frowned upon and, possibly, the end of his career.

[@solcutta3661]

Yes this is what I said PITMIRK ,he did his best distraction there in order that she not ask relationships...ESP with Dennis in the audience (when wasn't he)

[@Swat-ed5bt]

Rip legend ❤️

[@elgatofelix8917]

Never heard of this gent but he sounds intelligent.

[@philjones6054]

Frankie was a British comedy actor from the 50s, 60s and 70s. He was, probably, most well known for his comic plays called "Up Pompeii, which is a bawdy account of Roman life. Frankie also appeared in some of the Carry On Films of the early seventies, including Carry on Doctor, and Carry on up the Jungle.

[@Adam-wl8wn]

He's enormously popular in the UK with most people over 45. Younger than that and you'd be forgiven for not being all that familiar. My family adored him.

[@philjones6054]

@@Adam-wl8wn Well said. Frankie was a national treasure, and a wonderful comic actor. His "Francis Bigger" character in Carry on Doctor was one of my personal favourites.

[@nathelondon3719]

What a sensible attitude. I wish that todays “comedians” would do the same!

[@meirwise1107]

Quite right. Agree 100%. RIP Sir Francis of Howerd. The greatest standup in the English language. If only the "comedians״ nowadays would leave politics alone and try to be funny!

[@vincentheffernan8611]

The comedians these days are the politicians!

[@herminengasse6]

Mavis brought the most interesting out in everyone

[@solcutta3661]

Frankie doing his hardest to distract her away from the very personal question of relationships.....

[@JohnSmith-su3ze]

As he should

[@mymovies5410]

Frankie's humour exposed all the self-conscious image-seeking pricks. And his footage still does. Most people are sooooo scared to have an outrageous sense of humour, and why they try to have a sense of humour they're nasty with it. Thanks for being a lovely guy Frankie.🎉

[@joanneentwistle7653]

I love this lady. She's spunky.

[@robfuller7841]

I think it is Mavis Nicholson from memory.

[@johnf.sowards8707]

Mavis Nicholson. Look her up on KZbin. Best interviews I've ever seen anywhere.

[@antoniod]

Note he rolled his Rs when he said "very strong gr-r-r-oup".

[@DrSleep00]

Strongly agree,who cares his politcal religious views.Enjoy his work.

[@michaellavery4899]

I wish it was longer. Oh, stop it people. I'm just looking for more breadth. That's it. I'm getting off now.

[@npc3po301]

Many have political opinions but few are willing to look closer and those who do look closer only annoy those with opinions who won't, the closer you look the more informed you and are the less ready you feel talking about it

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

who sees jeremy clarkson in his visage?

[@laytonjones2093]

I love Frankie, but he looks a little fearful Mav will question him about sexuality

[@DRAINPIPE57]

When it came to money Sir Francis Howerd spent and gambled much of it away. Saw him in a casino in Malta in the early 80s slouched almost asleep in a chair Strange story but true

[@StuAnderson90]

"when you meet a girl you don't ask her, her age".. my first reaction was wooah... Next thought was and that's his defence your honour... 🤣

[@PaulEcosse]

For someone with no political views, he got a good 8 minutes out saying he had no opinion.

[@elgatofelix8917]

He was consistent in not advocating for any particular political ideology.

[@johnf.sowards8707]

What I saw was that he certainly has them, but was trying to work out how to: A. have them, while B. not denigrate anyone else who may want to air theirs, and C. express why, despite having them, he was choosing to not air his. He was very honest, and made himself vulnerable on air in trying to articulate his views. Kinda fascinating to watch, compared to today, and 40 years later what's considered "poise" in front of the camera. I find Mavis Nicholson interviews of this era so refreshing in the candor she brings out. I watched the Tom Baker one today too, and it was terrific.

[@Lytton333]

What Frankie is saying is that ALL are potential fools, no matter what the ideology, and comedy is, in essence, about how life gets in the way of the foolish notion of making fool-proof plans. Any politicised comedian is, therefore, a fool who satirises the presumed foolishness of his political opponents without ever seeing his own.

[@clownjaneymacandalioopsjan4731]

Comic

[@dabedwards]

Does anyone else remember a chat show with Kenny Everett and Frankie together? Frankie denied some gossip about his sexuality. Kenny said "That's not what I've heard" and Frankie fired back fiercely "Well, you've heard wrong!" It was an uncomfortable but rather revealing moment between the generations.

[@DavidBensonActor]

I have a copy of it somewhere. Will post when I find it. They did not like each other at all.

[@dabedwards]

@@DavidBensonActor Thank you very much. It would be very interesting to see. Sometimes you wonder whether you have misremembered things like that!

[@DavidBensonActor]

Your recall of it is very good - it was very much like that

[@talcumpowder1000]

Yes. It's on here now. The show lost its zest when Howerd appeared. He was a doleful guest and not as naturally funny as Everett

[@iVenge]

Frankie’s not going to see any girls, now is he?

[@johnking5174]

Frank was gay and he had a long term partner called Dennis, who was also his manager. He covered this up, by having a persona as a man who liked young ladies. As if he admitted he was gay back then, it could have killed his career sadly.

[@EgoShredder]

@@johnking5174 Infact for much of his career his activities and preferences would have been illegal.

[@johnking5174]

@@EgoShredder Yes, homosexuality was only made legal in England in 1967, however even with this, it was still a career ending moment if they ever decided to come out as gay. Look at John Inman, Larry Grayson, they never ever openly stated their sexuality, even by the 1980s when John and Larry were still household names, they never once confirmed their sexuality.

[@JohnSmith-su3ze]

@@johnking5174 Yes John Inman worked very hard to conceal any clues that he might be gay. So did Larry Grayson. There was certainly no gay innuendo with them.

[@talcumpowder1000]

​@@JohnSmith-su3zeNo gay innuendo with Grayson and Inman? That was their entire act. 😂

[@ingiemummalove130]

Who’s the interviewer here!?!?😂😂

[@PaulEcosse]

That would be Mavis Nicholson, who if you watch this channel a lot will pop up quite frequently.

[@philjones6054]

@@elgatofelix8917 Mavis Nicholson was a very popular political and social interviewer from the 70s. I think she is from Neath in South Wales, and is still very much alive.

[@AnthonyDonnellyTT]

2nd 😁

[@Bill-cv1xu]

🥈

[@leeboy2k1]

IIIrd